BitFenix announced the winners of their recent competition in the forums. Meanwhile, the Scorptec contest is still running!

The Mars Science Laboratory landed successfully, and is now sending back photos. Other imagery included full-frame views from the rover's navigation cameras, or Navcams, looking at the rim of Gale Crater; the first, lower-resolution thumbnail 360-degree view of Curiosity's new surroundings in Gale Crater; deck pan images of the rover herself; and images of the Martian surface next to the rover.

Google's self-driving cars have reached a milestone. Today, Google announced another milestone for this project: its fleet of about a dozen autonomous cars has now driven 300,000 miles without a single accident under computer control. While this is obviously very positive news for the project, Google warns that “there’s still a long road ahead.” The cars still need to learn how to handle snow-covered roads, for example, and how to interpret temporary construction signs and other situations that could throw its systems for a loop.

OCModShop cover emulating an Android tablet on your PC. Do you want to test-drive Android apps before you buy a tablet or phone? Is your phone too slow to play the latest Android games? An Android emulator may be just what you need.

Microsoft's plans to have "Do Not Track" on by default in IE10 isn't popular with online advertisers, somewhat unsurprisingly. The question ultimately comes down to defaults. Both sides know that most users are inclined to accept the default settings rather than go through a customization process. The tracking industry wants that default to be “Go ahead and track me, I don’t care,” while Microsoft argues that displaying the effect of the default settings diuring initial setup is sufficient to ensure that the DNT setting matches the user’s intent.

TheWedgie spotted an Amazon sale gone wrong. Horvitz ordered the TV, a Westinghouse 39-inch LCD, for about $320 from a third-party electronics seller on Amazon. On Tuesday evening, a large, oblong box arrived at his doorstep via UPS Ground. “When I saw some metal parts inside the box, I thought, ‘Maybe this is a TV stand or mount or something,’” Horvitz said in a phone interview with Wired. “When I realized it was an assault rifle, it was pure shock and disbelief.”